Publisher's Summary

Callander Square is the second of Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries. Full of well-drawn and convincing characters, Callander Square offers a finely crafted recreation of Victorian England. The bodies of two newborn babies have been found in a park in the fashionable London neighborhood of Callander Square. While Inspector Thomas Pitt is fighting to get the square's aristocratic residents to speak with him, his pretty, well-born wife Charlotte decides to do some detective work of her own. Soon she is unearthing secrets in every house on the square while Thomas tries to discover what would drive a person to murder.

Story

The Pitt Family at their best!

All the best elements of a Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery -- sympathetic characters, inexcusable characters, bounders, twits, heroines, and heroes -- all here and embroiled in a convoluted and historically engaging mystery.

Filled with 19th century British social conventions and police procedures set against a London backdrop.

Engaging

“Callander Square” is book two in Anne Perry’s Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series. The book was published in 1980. The book covers Victorian London’s neighborhood’s rich secrets. .Murders don’t take place in fashionable Callander Square, so Inspector Pitt’s wife Charlotte couldn’t resist finding out why one had. The plot revolves around the discovery of two infants bodies buried in the square of a high society neighborhood. The Pitts are on the case. The book is more about Victorian society, how they lived both the servants and the masters, than about solving the mystery.

Perry covers a great deal about women in Victorian England. The author also tosses in some information about proper etiquette in the Victorian time, such as the social rules of calling and leaving cards. Perry also covers what was important to women but not to the men. It is as if there were two separate worlds, the women in the house and outside of the house.

Perry is an excellent writer and she magically transports the reader to see what it was like living in Victorian London. One of my favorite narrators Davina Porter narrated the book.

Very good victorian mystery!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, if that person enjoys both mysteries and Victorian stories.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Callander Square?

This is not *one* moment--but there are series of incidents in which Pitt (the policeman--who is not yet viewed with respect in this era) finds a way to stay calm in front of people who find his very presence outrageous, due to social class standards still in existence. By not reacting to their snobbery or their biased response to his presence, he is able to obtain either information--or even, to some degree, their assistance. Of course, his wife, Charlotte, has her own way of being with these people that does not threaten them, but that's all part of the story.

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well, her ability to do many voices is quite good. Her diction is just slightly less crisp than some narrators so I had to listen hard (and on a few occasions back up to listen again) to hear what she said. However, I find the softness of her voice (despite the lack of crisp diction) to be very calm and easy listening. What I said is not a criticism, just an observation. I didn't mind backing up to listen again--her overall tone was good for this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not necessarily--it is quite good, and one wants to hold on to a good book as long as possible!

Any additional comments?

This is the second book in a series, begun in 1979 with "The Cater Street Hangman", and is just beginning to develop the characters of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. It is quite interesting because it shows the early stages of police work, in which the upper classes viewed them as "tradesmen" and not their equals, therefore didn't feel the need to cooperate with them very much. However, this is cleverly gotten around, because Charlotte is connected with that society (since she left it to marry Thomas) but her sister still has the connections. So between them, they add quite a lot to the story. Charlotte and Thomas work together (but Thomas doesn't know this through much of the story). <br/><br/>This is a very good series--I enjoyed the book, and recommend it very much!

Murder in the Victorian Era

Second book in the series. I'm a fan of Anne Perry's books, having found one of her shorter Christmas stories, and then the "Cater Street Hangman" (first in this series), at the library, No blood & gore, no F-bombs. She likes to explore the interaction between people when there is a murder - not only those who are the immediate family of the deceased, but also the friends and neighbors. How they think and suspect each other. Very interesting. Because her stories are set in this era, we are reminded that the aristocratic wealthy looked "down" upon the servants and the working-class, and she explores these interactions also. Davina Porter is fantastic!I plan to continue with this series!

Delightful!

What made the experience of listening to Callander Square the most enjoyable?

Davina Porter is truly an amazing narrator. She does such an amazing job of bringing the characters in the story to life.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Part of the experience of reading an Anne Perry novel is her beautiful way of bringing to life Victorian England - the city, the people and their lives. She draws the reader along in the carriage of her story with her words.